The Unicorn
• Bsmt, 304 - 8 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 1C2
Average User Rating:
7.63/10
7.63/10
Recommended by:
77%
77%
Sort Reviews by:
"Good food, good times ... horrific service"
Mar
April 2012 — "I've been to the Unicorn in small groups many times before and had an unremarkable time but my most recent visit was certainly memorable ... but not in a good way.
We booked a party at the Unicorn as a going away for someone in our office. All in all, the party was great -- however, our server was one of the rudest people I've ever met, let alone been served by. I arrived a little late, and she refused to take my first drink order because she was "too busy" and then got angry with me when I went to the bar, telling me I needed to go back to my table to get a drink. She refused to separate our bills which was fair enough for a big group, but then we had to remind her three times to bring us some menus back so we could work out who owed what on our own. Everyone else had a similar story with her and the party organizer, who is quite a kind and laid-back person, has insisted that we never go back again (fine by me.)
Bad service is becoming an epidemic in Calgary and it's a shame because nice pubs like the Unicorn are losing out on business because of these bad attitudes. "
User Rating
5.83/10
5.83/10
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"Lively pub, great food"
Ken
March 2012 — "The Unicorn on 8th ave is a great lively little pub. A great place to go if looking for fun, live music and great food with friends.
Recently we went with a group of friends and really enjoyed the great food they serve.
I would most likely go again, and would recommend it to anyone.
The food is great, they have a large selection of beers on tap, and its big enough in there for a big group.
I had the baked Calamari with a beautiful sweet chile sauce for dipping. And for my main I ordered the Baked Brie and apple chicken burger served with fries.
The service was fast and friendly, and our server didn't dottle once.
The bathrooms are clean.
It is really interesting inside, decorated with antique memorabilia. A little stage in the centre of the pub holds live music bands on weekends.
And an open mic during the week.
A must try for the pub goer!"
User Rating
6.67/10
6.67/10
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"Filling Portions Big taste!"
Carlee
March 2012 — "A group of friends and I went to the Unicorn downtown on 8th ave before a night out.
We were seated right away, and had no problem finding a table to fit all ten of us on a busy Saturday evening.
The menu was fully stacked with a wide range of options for everyone to chose from.
They had jugs of Canadian Draught on special so we got a few for the table.
My husband and I shared an order of Calimari, and each had our own burgers.
I had the Unicorn burger that was huge! I chose the yam fries as my side, and they were really tasty as well.
My husband had the chicken apple brie grilled burger and was quite pleased with it .
Some of our friends, another couple shared the friends sampler platter.
It came with wings, ribs, calimari, shrimp, chicken strips and dips.
It was a very good price and was a huge platter! I would like to order the nachos next time, as Im sure they would easily impress also.
I will be going back to the Unicorn for the food alone. The service was excellent and our waitress never left us hanging around waiting for anything.
Very good experience and I would recommend it for sure to anyone! "
User Rating
9/10
9/10
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"Awesome superbowl spot!"
Ashley
February 2012 — "It took our group a while to decide where we wanted to go to watch the superbowl, we didn't want somewhere that was going to charge a ton of money for cover or somewhere that was going to be uncomfortably busy. We finally decided on the Unicorn, and what a good decision it was. I love the Unicorn on a regular day, despite its basement location, it has a great atmosphere. We got a perfect table down below, right near the big screen. We were informed by our server not to order too much food because at half time they were providing free chili cheese dogs to everyone -- how often does that happen?! Awesome! Not only did they give us free food but they also had a bunch of free NFL and beer sponsor swag they were handing out to everyone. The day was really fun and I don't think I could have picked a better place to see my team win!"
User Rating
8.83/10
8.83/10
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"One of the best pubs"
Henry
April 2011 — "The Unicorn is known as the original pub of Calgary, being the first pub to open on Calgary's famed Stephen Avenue Mall. It is located centrally on the corner of Stephen Ave which is also 8th Ave and 2nd Street SW. Its proximity to Bankers Hall and many other offices in the downtown area makes it a great place for a drink or eats after a long day. The pub has an entrance at street level but the stairway just inside actually leads to the pub area which is located in the basement. It offers a cozy place to drink in Calgary's long winters. There is plenty of seating and there are more than enough TV's to catch your favourite game. Our servers are always nice enough to switch the channel on any given TV in order to catch our game. One of their specialties is the famed baked mac-n-cheese. This place can get quite crowded after work hours on a Friday evening. There is also a patio area located right on Stephen Ave in the summer time."
User Rating
7.17/10
7.17/10
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"Good, Casual Pub"Jenny
April 2010 — "I met a friend I hadn't seen for a while for lunch at The Unicorn recently. We just wanted to go somewhere casual to catch up over lunch and a beer. We found a seat at the back of the pub and our server was with us right away and very attentive. I asked her for a recommendation and she suggested the meatloaf, so I decided to try that. There was a large group of guys at a long table beside us and they were very loud, so I actually felt hoarse at the end of the lunch from basically yelling at my friend for an hour. Our food came very quickly and the meatloaf was good (though not nearly as good as the one I make!) but the serving was enormous and I couldn't eat it all. Overall they offer standard pub fare, of standard quality. It's not outstanding, but it's a bit of a dark, dingy pub in a basement on Stephen Avenue, so what do you expect? I really like The Unicorn and it is definitely somewhere I will return to for lunch or after-work drinks."
User Rating
7.33/10
7.33/10
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"Nice Change"d
April 2008 — "The Unicorn is located in the heart of bustling Stephen Avenue, down a flight of stairs leading from the street. It's a traditional, dimly lit pub with heavy wooden tables and an original atmosphere. The service is prompt and attentive and I tried poutine for the first time here and loved it. A nice change from the bar & grill chains, The Unicorn is a fun, relaxed and authentic pub."
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
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"Great Food and a Great Atmosphere!"Jocelyn
February 2007 — "I really like the Unicorn. It has the feel of a traditional Irish pub and serves great food. I usually get the mac and cheese, but next time I might try something different. Great selection of beers on tap too!"
User Rating
7.33/10
7.33/10
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"A popular spot"
Martha
February 2006 — "The food here is great and the drinks are good too, but it gets pretty busy, especially on a friday after work, when all the investment banker types in suits finish work. It's a very good spot for lunch. "
User Rating
8.67/10
8.67/10
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DescriptionA convenient downtown location, The Unicorn features plenty on tap and an extensive traditional pub menu featuring fish and chips, shepherds pie, Guiness steak and mushroom stew. Other dishes include perogies and sausage, hot wings, salads and much more. All at a reasonable price.
Location InformationBsmt, 304 - 8 Avenue SW
Calgary
AB
T2P 1C2
